I’m making this thread to gauge the interest from the community about what they want to see from the XboxEra team. We currently have the podcast, written news, content, and reviews, the YouTube channel, the forum, and a few unannounced projects.
As an xbox fan I think there is a general lack of xbox based content and xboxera is doing a pretty good job of filling that void in my humble opinion. But is there anything you think we are missing? What else do you want to see in terms of content that we aren’t doing yet? Post your ideas below!
I would say try to get some interviews from Microsoft about the XSX hardware.
I’m sure you most likely have, but approach MS and tell them that you are promoting Xbox and think they should support you by giving access to their employees such as interviews with their hardware guys, back compat guys, and even interviews with their studios.
Considering that other forums like SonyGAF and ResetSony shit on MS from a great height, it would be in their best interest to want this place to grow.
That would be nice, especially once Halo Infinite launches. Getting a group of people together to do crazy custom games on crazy Forge maps was always a blast.
Since this encompasses one of the suggestions I was gonna make (interviewing Xbox devs/personnel) and even more great ideas I’ll just quote it and co-sign it
I have a idea that i’ve been working on over the last few years but I don’t have the position and ability to execute.
A deep dive into the people who made Xbox and the work behind the features that have defined the generations. take a feature like xbox live. talk to E, who headed up the service from inception and helped guide it into the world class experience. A chat with Dave CutIer about the design behind the hyper visor that runs the xbox one. Bill Stilwell for back compat. Sarah Bond on the building of Gamepass and third party. Mike ybarra on how the features team built the xbox system to improve with the feedback portal.
These are just some of the people and ideas but it could be started by approaching the history of xbox and then breaking down into specifics.
This was inspired by a Phil Spencer interview where he talked about how proud of the team he was and that he loves seeing them being able to stand front and center to talk about their great work.
If itis something that xbox era want to do, I have pages of research and quotes that could help target who knows what and where their story is.
1- Fan Art workshop: Xbox IPs is the lowest one in term of fan arts in the internet. While I think it deserve more attention than a lot of other IPs even animes. Halo, Gears, KI, Hellblade, Banjo, Kameo, Battletoads, Lost Odyssey & many more … it has great universes, characters, designs that can inspire people who love art.
I think opening one huge Thread called “ Xbox Fan Art” or “XboxEra Arts” will be nice way to attract people who wants to participate and begin a community for drawing.
2- Video Game Articles: previewing Old/New games. Talking about story, Characters, Gameplay, development cycle and maybe some highlights about the developers.
3- Did you know Series articles: About Xbox Games, Hardware, developers, secrets … etc.
These are my top suggestions especially point (1). One more thing, I hope the OTs are used mainly for games/ Hardware not for debate about one Twitter user or another users from YouTube or forums.
Every so often, someone starting their first day at an XGS, like Playground, or Rare, or the Initiative will post how happy they are to be starting a job at these devs.
Maybe we could do a brief, “meet the dev” type of thing, even if it’s not the new hires, maybe people we know and love. There’s tons of people that I follow on Twitter, that work at a studio or at Xbox, that maybe we could learn about their journey.
I’m not talking about interviews, per se. Nothing so formal, but maybe a brief bio, like how long have they working with Xbox games? What was their first memory of Xbox? How did they get into game or platform development? What are their thoughts on the future of gaming? Maybe describe their job? There are many roles at developers and in game development that I really have no clue about what they do (Believe me, watch the credits after you finish a COD game and you begin to wonder if those job titles are real.)
I think when we worry so much about our hobby and get into the whole competition thing, we lose track of people and stories behind the scenes. Even lower rated games had people who poured heart and soul into their development. Let’s meet them?
Maybe we can have one when Infinite releases and put actual cash prizes that all participants that enter have to add to? Or if cash seems like it’s too much, maybe a digital game code of someones choice or an Xbox gift card?
